Inked
by lost highway
Summary: The five tattoos that Iruka got out of pain, and the one he got out of pleasure.


**Title:** Inked

**Author:**lost highway

**Rating:** PG-13

**Pairing(s):** Kakashi and Iruka

**Summary:** The five tattoos Iruka got out of pain, and the one he got out of pleasure.

**Warnings:** some bad language, some OOC-ness

**Word Count:** +/- 3800

**Author's Notes:** I took some liberties with numbers, dates, and places in the Naruto fandom. This is my entry for the Winter Fest 2010 at the Kakairu Community at livejournal. I hope you enjoy!

**Inked**

**1. Numbers**

"I'm okay Hatake-taichou," Iruka said irritably as his senior pushed him down onto a tree branch. "The kunai just grazed me. I just lost a little bit of hair."

"A little bit of hair should not have a bloody vest to accompany it," Kakashi retorted, already pulling out medical tape and bandages. "Besides, any open blood will allow trackers to trace us. We're not out of danger yet."

Iruka flushed as he quietly bent his head forward, exposing the shallow but bleeding wound. Gentle hands cleaned the area before wrapping it tightly to staunch the blood. "You need to stop hesitating when the attacker is young. I understand that you are a teacher in training, but that should not make you falter."

Iruka's flushed deepened and spread. Kakashi sighed as he finished wrapping the wound. Something caught his eye on the back of Iruka's neck.

"I didn't know you were the type to get a tattoo, Sensei," He teased, hoping to lighten the mood. "What does this fraction mean, 2 out of 3592? Perhaps the number of times you've not yelled at Naruto for doing something stupid?"

Iruka suddenly tensed. Kakashi paused in his clean up. "Iruka?"

"It's in memory of the attack," he whispered quietly. Kakashi didn't need to ask which one. The Kyuubi had destroyed many families. "The 3592 stands for the total number of casualties."

"And the two?" Kakashi prompted after Iruka fell silent. "What does that stand for?"

After a long silence, Iruka answered. "My parents. It represents my parents."

"Why?" Kakashi asked after a moment. "Why did you get it?"

"I needed a concrete way to remember my parents. And I needed to remember that while I had lost my family, so many others lost theirs as well." Iruka stood up and dusted himself off. "The pain of getting a tattoo is like cauterizing a wound. It hurts, but it also seals a hurt quickly and efficiently. And it leaves a scar that's remembered."

Kakashi looked interestedly at Iruka's back, standing up to continue their journey home. It seemed that the mild mannered Sensei had his own hidden past, just like him.

**2. Processing**

"Hey Kakashi-sensei! You're coming with us right?" Kakashi snapped his ever present book shut as he regarded the youth in front of him. "Well?"

"Well what, Naruto?" Kakashi asked. "Where are you going?"

"Iruka-sensei is taking us to the river for a picnic!" Naruto said excitedly, jumping up and down. "He says he's going to teach us a cool new water jutsu!"

"Is he now?" Kakashi drawled. "And why should I come?"

Naruto faltered for a moment, his eyes dimming slightly. "Well I thought you might want to hang out with us. You know, have some fun instead of training?"

Kakashi sighed at the hidden "hang out with me" in Naruto's words. Leaping out of the tree, he landed gracefully next to Naruto. Reaching out and ruffling the boy's hair, he sighed again. "Lead the way, Naruto."

Naruto whooped and squeezed Kakashi before sprinting off in the other direction. Kakashi followed at a leisurely pace, noting the direction that Naruto's chakra moved. Turning the corner, he spotted Iruka-sensei surrounded by an excited Naruto, a cheery Sakura, and a slightly-less-sullen Sasuke. Raising a hand in greeting, he was rewarded with a wide grin from the Sensei.

"Yo," He said monotonously.

"Kakashi-sensei! What an excellent surprise!" Iruka beamed. "Naruto tells me that you'll be coming with us."

"Free food and good company. How can I say no?" Kakashi replied with a grin of his own. "Shall we go?"

Iruka smiled before lifting an enormous basket. Naruto grabbed the other end and they set off. It was an animated walk through the forest until they reached the river. As soon as they reached, Iruka put everyone to work. Naruto and Sasuke were sent to gather firewood, Kakashi and Sakura were made to set up camp, and Iruka rolled his pants up and waded into the river. Within minutes, he had caught enough fish for all five of them. By the time Naruto and Sasuke came back with firewood, the fish had been gutted, cleaned, and impaled on skewers. The fire was started and the fish were cooked and eaten. Afterwards, they sunned themselves on the grass, pleasantly sated. That was, until Naruto decided that it was time for swimming.

With a yell, the blond haired boy launched himself at Sasuke, propelling them both into the river. Sakura screeched as the resulting splash drenched her as well. With an angry yell, she dove into the water after Naruto, briefly pulling him under by his legs. With a grin, Iruka pointed out to a pouting Sakura and a half drowned Naruto that Sasuke was trying to escape. With twin yells, they launched themselves at the boy who had just enough time to send Iruka a betrayed look before disappearing underwater. Iruka was laughing so hard that he didn't notice Kakashi and his clone until it was too late. He yelped as he was bodily lifted and thrown into the river.

Glaring at the older man from his position, Iruka swiftly went through hand signs that had Kakashi's eye widening. A split second later, Iruka was standing in the grass while Kakashi was in the middle of the river, the result of a simple, but artfully mastered substitution jutsu.

"You do realize that this means war, don't you Sensei?" Kakashi said, his eye glaring under his drooping hair. Iruka simply grinned before flipping off the bank into the water. Shrieks, yells, and screams filled the afternoon air until late evening. Kakashi couldn't remember the last time when he had had so much fun. They were all drying off when Kakashi noticed it. Iruka had just returned from hanging everyone's clothing up when Naruto opened his mouth.

"Sensei, why do you have a bar code on your side?" Iruka froze, unsure as to how to reply.

"It's a really cool tattoo."

"You never want to get it," Iruka replied seriously. The boy cocked his head questioningly.

"Why not?"

"Because it means that you failed a D-rank mission," Kakashi interjected. "I have one too. It's a mark of shame."

Naruto's horrified look released the tension in Iruka's frame. As Naruto shrieked that both his Sensei had failed D-rank missions, Iruka's eyes were warm with gratitude as they regarded Kakashi.

"But remember Naruto, you shouldn't broadcast this. We both have reputations to maintain and jobs to keep," Iruka admonished. Naruto's eyes went wide as he nodded in agreement.

A few hours later as the kids were sleeping around the fire, Kakashi breeched the subject quietly. "When?"

Iruka sighed before replying. "After Mizuki. He was my best friend and although I was the one who confronted him, T&I had to make sure. I went through the whole battery of tests."

Kakashi winced before answering. "I had it done after Obito. I was -unstable- to say the least. Before I could return to duty, I was assessed. I was only thirteen."

"I am sorry for you. It was hard enough to go through it at my age," Iruka said as he shifted to face Kakashi. "I suppose if the Village is safer because of it, it is worth it."

Kakashi scoffed. "It took me years to understand that. I always thought that it was because of my father."

"Your father was a great man," Iruka said quietly. "Don't ever doubt that."

For the second time in his life, Kakashi was rendered speechless by the quiet, Chunnin, school teacher.

**3. Catharsis**

"I don't understand it." Iruka raised an eyebrow as Kakashi slapped down his mission report.

"Obviously," Iruka replied as he took one look at the report and stamped a 'RE-DO' on it. "You clearly have no concept of a well written Mission Report."

"That's it!" Kakashi exclaimed. "Right there! How do you do it?"

"Tell you off for a badly written report?" Iruka questioned. "Because that's quite easy. I simply-"

"No," Kakashi replied irritably. "The Third died a week ago. His funeral was two days ago. Naruto left with Jiraiya. The Village is spread thin for shinobi. And yet you act as if nothing is wrong. You're still functioning; you, who thought of the Third as your remaining family. How do you do it?"

Iruka was quiet for a minute before replying carefully. "The Third's Will of Fire. This village will always carry it. That's how I can be strong right now."

"Bullshit," Kakashi snarled. "I know you. There's something else. I want to know what it is."

Iruka took a deep breath before looking at Kakashi. "Perhaps accosting me in the middle of my shift is a bad idea. Come back after I'm done and I'll explain it then."

Two hours later, Kakashi was waiting impatiently as Iruka locked up the Missions Room. Gathering his things, Iruka beckoned for Kakashi to follow him. They walked quietly towards Training Ground 12 before Iruka dropped his materials and fell into a defensive position.

"Fight me."

Kakashi didn't need to be told twice as he sprinted towards Iruka. They fought with taijutsu and weapons, mutually agreeing to keep ninjutsu out of the match. Blow after blow was struck, each more vicious than the last. Iruka's defense held up admirably, but in the end, he was no match for the Copy Nin. A swift kick dropped him to his knees, a kunai threatened his jugular.

"Yield," Kakashi demanded from behind him. Iruka nodded and relaxed his body. It was only then that Kakashi's hand went limp and the kunai fell harmlessly to the ground. "Will you tell me now?"

"Do you feel better?" Iruka asked in reply. At Kakashi's surprised look, Iruka explained, "As Chunnin, we've been trained to notice when a shinobi needs to vent or when he is close to his break point."

Kakashi glared, but there was no strength behind it. Iruka sighed before soundlessly undoing the leg wrappings around his left leg. He rolled up his standard issue pants. There, still swollen was the kanji symbol for 'Healing' on his ankle. "I needed a catharsis. Getting a tattoo has always helped me see clearer. It hurt so much since I got it directly on my bone. But the physical pain helps me deal with the emotional. This way, I can continue functioning normally, giving others a sense of security. It is my way of the ninja."

Kakashi slumped boneslessly against Iruka's back. Maybe he needed something like that.

**4. Search and Destroy**

The clang of two blades rang through the trees before the forest erupted into a flurry of fighting. Konoha was heavily outnumbered by Sound, two against seven. But a well placed set of traps swiftly disabled two of the enemy nin, enabling one of the Konoha shinobi to kill them with ease. A lighting dragon increased the casualties to three, leaving the battle more even. The shorter of the two men leapt into the trees, drawing his battle away from the ANBU agent. Irritated at his partner's inability to listen to directions, the ANBU bit his thumb and slammed his hand on the ground, simultaneously performing an Earth jutsu to destabilize his opponents as well as summoning his ninken.

A howl sounded through the trees, registering on the mind of the ANBU, but not causing him to falter. Taka could handle himself. He didn't become a Hunter without having considerable skill. Focusing on the battle between himself and a green haired Sound ANBU, Hound cursed as he saw his second opponent follow the howl into the trees. Now he really hoped that Taka had some plan up his sleeve. He used his kunai to parry a blow from the Sound ANBU before landing a hard punch to the other man's gut. In the split second the enemy took to regain his breath, Hound managed to lodge a kunai square in one shoulder, rendering the arm useless. Smiling viciously at his impending victory, Hound noted that Taka had reappeared in the small clearing, bloodied, but looking no worse for wear. Dodging a barrage of shuriken, Hound slipped under the man's defenses and shattered the man's knee cap. It was a simple swipe of a kunai after that and the man was dead at his feet, his throat neatly slit.

Hound relaxed for a fraction of a second before realizing that another killing intent was headed in his direction. His eyes widened as he saw Taka flying towards him, katana raised for a killing strike. He began hand seals, but he knew that there was no way he would be able to finish in time. _Shit_, he thought, _I'm going to die_.

"—NO—JUTSU!" Another voice yelled. Hound barely had time to blink before he felt himself being transported to the edge of the clearing. He had felt this before; it was a Substitution justu! He looked in horror as one Taka impaled another Taka through the side. With a growl, he sprinted towards the imposter, a Chidori flaring brightly in his hand. A second later, the man fell off of Hound's arm, his chest a charred, bloody mess. The body had barely hit the ground before Hound was tending to his partner.

"Shit!" Hound swore when he saw the wound. "What were you thinking you idiot?"

Taka gurgled as more blood seeped from the wound. Hound swore again when he saw blood oozing from under the man's mask. "Are we safe?"

Taka hand signaled an affirmative. Hound leveled him with a look. "This is going to be painful, but I'm taking you to the nearby ANBU post. I need you to hold on. Do you understand? HOLD ON."

With that, Hound bodily lifted the man onto his back and began a back breaking sprint towards the outpost. Within a few minutes, they had reached and Hound was undoing the seals and wards. All the while, Taka drew slow, pained breaths and tried not to choke on his own blood. Once inside, Hound efficiently stripped the man of his armor and shirt. Taka coughed weakly again and blood slipped from under his mask.

"Fuck!" Hound said. He needed to get that mask off, Hunter or not. "I'm going to take the mask off."

Taka stiffened.

"I'm not going to let you die here."

It was a long moment before Taka relaxed a fraction. That was all Hound needed to whip off the mask.

"Iruka-sensei?" Hound gasped. The man gave him a weak smile before coughing. Of course it was him, who else knew how to use a Substitution jutsu on an actual person. Hound busied himself with healing the man. But he couldn't tell how deep the wounds were. He ripped off his mask before training his Sharingan on the wound. "Looks like we're even Sensei."

It was a painstakingly slow process to stop the worst of the bleeding. With only the basic medical supplies and medical chakra to assist him, Kakashi managed to stop the worst of the bleeding. Iruka-sensei had passed out about half way through, his breaths still labored as Kakashi worked on.

But finally, finally the wound was sealed. With a sigh, Kakashi leaned back and pulled out a needle and thread. Carefully, he stitched up Iruka's side before collapsing next to the man. Chakra deprived and delirious, he had the barest sense of mind to summon his ninken before passing out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Wake up Taka." Tsunade's voice filtered through the drugged haze and Taka struggled to open his eyes. "Welcome back."

Iruka blinked blearly as the room came into focus. The table was littered with many gifts from well-wishers. "You're lucky to be alive Sensei."

Iruka blinked as all the memories came rushing back to him. His breath caught in his throat as he realized that he had been unmasked. And that his partner had unmasked for him in return. "Hokage-sama…"

"Hound was well within his rights," Tsunade said kindly. "There will be no punishment meted out to him."

Iruka sagged back into his pillow. He didn't think he could forgive himself if he had caused Konoha's top ANBU to be court martialed.

Tsunade interrupted his thoughts. "But you were an idiot. You would have been as good as dead if not for the Sharingan."

"Losing Hound would have been catastrophic Hokage-sama," Iruka whispered. "A Hunter can be replaced, but the best ANBU cannot."

"That doesn't mean you were any less of an idiot," Kakashi said from the doorway of the room. He nodded briefly to Tsunade as she walked past him. "Taka is our best Hunter nin. He can't be replaced either."

"Hound…"

"I think we're past such formalities aren't we Iruka-sensei?" Kakashi drawled. "And since when have you been a hunter?"

Iruka sighed before replying. "It was a year before Naruto graduated from the Academy. Sandaime had been pushing for my Hunter status; it was to better protect Naruto."

"I see."

"No, you don't," Iruka countered. "I never wanted to be a Hunter. It was only after Naruto was cornered in an alley one too many times that I decided to put his needs over my wants."

Iruka took a deep breath. "When I saw that little boy lying in Sandaime's office with an ANBU guard, I knew that I had to do something. So I joined the Hunters."

"Why not ANBU?" Kakashi pressed.

"ANBU is a full time job for a rookie. I still had a class to teach and a blond baby to look after."

"So becoming Taka was like a punishment."

"Yes," Iruka sighed. "My sign is sprawled over my left shoulder. It helped me focus on what was necessary and right."

Kakashi pulled away at the hospital gown, his eyes glancing over a tanned chest to focus on the vicious beak and steely eyes of a hawk. He didn't ask how Iruka how he managed to conceal it; everyone had their own ways. He traced his fingers over the tattoo, pretending to ignore the way Iruka shivered in response. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, Hunter tattoos are much cooler than ANBU ones."

A startled laugh erupted from Iruka's lips, sending him into a coughing fit. As he struggled to regain his breath, Kakashi smiled at him. "You really are an idiot."

And with that, he bent down and pecked the man square on his lips. Then, chuckling at the dazed look on Iruka's face, he walked out of the room. "See you around, Sensei."

**5. Sacrifices**

Kakashi was drowning. _But what a way to go._ He keened into lips that were roughly plundering his own. Maybe he should try dying more often, if this is what he got in return. A kunai slid down his torso, cutting away the flimsy material of his shirt with ease. Two hands shoved the shirt off, fingers running over scarred skin before tightening their grip. Kakashi moaned as lips and teeth attacked his pulse. That was going to bruise.

"Iruk-Aah!" Kakashi gasped as his hair was grabbed roughly and he was hauled up into another mind blowing kiss.

"One week." Words were growled in his ear. "One week, and you couldn't send a single person to find me."

"I was-ah-bedridden." Kakashi whimpered as a tongue traced his earlobe.

"Never stopped you before."

Kakashi whined as all sensations stopped. He grasped weakly at the other man, stopping him before his completely moved off his lap. "Iruka…"

"Fuck!" Iruka almost shouted. "Dammit Kakashi, do you even understand how I felt when I felt your chakra vanish?"

Kakashi grimaced as he saw unshed tears in Iruka's eyes. He had desperately wanted to contact the other man after he'd come back, but the fight that they had had made him a coward. He reached up and wrapped his arms around Iruka.

"Do you even know how it felt to feel your chakra disappear, and remain that way for four days?" Iruka said lowly into Kakashi's hair. "I've never hated being a Hunter more."

"I'm sorry," Kakashi whispered back. "I wanted to tell you, but that fight..."

Iruka slapped him, hard. "I don't care what happens in our fights. All that matters is that you come home safe. Remember that."

Lips brushed over his reddened cheek. Shuddering, Kakashi moved his hands down to Iruka's waist and grabbed him tightly. Iruka yelped in pain.

Immediately, Kakashi let go. "What? What happened?"

Blushing, Iruka answered, "Nothing. It's nothing."

"Bullshit." With that, Kakashi lifted Iruka's shirt up to peer at the likely bruise. Only to see that it wasn't a bruise. "Is that…"

Iruka swatted his hands away angrily as Kakashi grinned up at him. "Fuck off, you bastard."

"I can't believe you got _henohenomoheji_ tattooed on your waist."

"Like I said, I thought you were dead," Iruka replied somberly. Kakashi's grin fell from his face. Keeping one hand on the tattoo, he lifted his other to cup Iruka's cheek. Iruka's gaze softened as a thumb caressed his cheekbone. Leaning down, he pressed a slow kiss to Kakashi's lips. Kakashi tightened his hold and arched into Iruka, deepening the kiss. He lightly stroked his fingers over the tattoo, making Iruka whimper softly. A sudden wave of possessiveness surged through him.

"I think it's time I reaffirmed just who you belong to," was all he said before teleporting the both of them into their bedroom, a leer on his face.

**+1. Eternity**

Iruka grinned as he looked at Kakashi. Who knew the man was a total scaredy-cat? He leaned in to brush his lips against the other man's. "What's wrong?"

"It hurts," Kakashi whined as Iruka grinned at him again.

"Who knew, the Copy-Nin, Man of One Thousand Jutsus, Sharingan-san, Hatake Kakashi could be hurt by a tiny little tattoo. It's not even over bone."

"I don't understand how you got it done so many times," Kakashi said petulantly. "A needle pokes at you multiple times. It's like being at a hospital and getting shots constantly over half second intervals."

"Oh stop being such a baby," Iruka retorted. "You know that I would have been fine with anything else."

"But it means so much to you," Kakashi said. "I couldn't just buy you a ring. What if you lost it? What if it was stolen? And it doesn't symbolize permanence."

"Aw, you're so sweet Kashi," Iruka replied, kissing him again. "But you know, you don't have to prove your commitment to me. I already know."

"No I don't. But I want to." Iruka smiled at this reply. It was good to know that he meant so much to the other man. It had been 12 years since they had started dating. 8 since they had moved in together. And 5 since Kakashi had proposed. But to Iruka, nothing meant more in their relationship than the two identical infinity symbols that they both wore over their hearts. Iruka smiled down at his best friend, his lover, his everything.

"Come one love," he said. "Let's go home."

* * *

Hope you guys enjoyed!

Read and Review please!


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